Conveyer.



M. U. BERNHEIM.

` GONVEYBR.

APPLIOTION FILED MAR.. 2, 1908.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914,

moeyls;

n @wa-Q MORRIS U. BERNHEIM, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, SSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE ALVEY-FERGUSON COMPANY, OF OAKLEY, OHIO, A CORPORATION or omo. j

" coNvnYEn.

Patented Amig. itil, 19ML..

Application led March 2, 1908. Serial 1U o. 418,673.

To all lwhom it may concern v Be it known that I, MoRRis U; Bniznnnm, .a citizen of the United- States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jeferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention has relation to freight conveyers, or conveying systems, for transferring from one place to another in a warehouse or elsewhere, boxes, barrels upon end,

l and other non-rotatably disposed articles (hereinafter generically referred to as packages and more particularly to the type of such conveyers in which the packages are automatically fed one at a time to a power conveyer comprising a suitable bed and endless-travelingdevices provided with.

package-engaging elements which propel the packages along said bed, or control the movement of lthe packages thereon.

The conveyer to which the present invention has most particular reference comprises a delivering section and a receiving section s arranged end to end, the delivering section being preferably a gravity conveyer and the receiving section being preferably an elevator having an upwardly inclined bed or way with an approximately horizontal receiving end, said elevator also having package-engaging elements or flightsl which travel above and below said bed or way and propel the packages along the latter. Such a conveyer is shown in the patent issued May 23rd, 1905 for the invention of B. H.

Alvey', but it is to be understood that the present'invention is not restricted to the details of the conveyer shown in said patent and that it mayv be embodied in coiiveyers'l having delivering and receiving sectionsof di-H'erent styles or constructions without departing from its spirit or the scope ofthe subjoined claims.

It is. well understood by 4those familiar* with conveyers of the kind hereinbefore referred to that when a package is fed to the receiving end of the power conveyer at such time that it will be interposed across the path of a rising Hight, thejlatter by its engagement with thefbottom of the package frequently dragstbnto the bottoml ofthe elevator'and unless some' provision is made for freeing the package from the flight by l'the time the latter has reached the inclined section of the elevator, the package will be dragged partway up the inclined section of the elevator and will then fall back, with danger to the elevator and to the package, as well as danger to the contents of the package when the latteris not an empty box, case or barrel and its contents are of fragile nature. Consequently, with this class of conveyers itis necessary either to provide means for preventing movement of an improperly-engaged packagethat is, a package which is riding upon a Hight instead of being engaged at its rear by the Hightpartway up the inclined section of the elevator, or else for an attendant stationed near the base of the elevator to so time the movement of the packages to the elevator that the packages will reach the receiving `portion of the elevator in front of an appreaching Hight.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to minimize'the need of any manual timing of the relation between the periods of arrival of the packages at the elevator cand the phases of movement of the propelling devices by providing an automatically operated stop device Which will prevent'the movement of packages from the delivering section to the `elevator when a flight is rising at the receiving end of the latter. This is a leading purpose of the present invention, and other of 4its purposes are (a) to provide a simple and effective form of stop device for a conveyer, (b) `to provide a stop device of simple and effective gravity feeder of the roller bed typeyand a power conveyer of the type hereinbefore referred to. These objects, and others which will hereinafter/ appear, are fully secured by the construction, arrangement and combination ofparts illustrated in the accom-` so section at atime to b e over andu 4on instead panying drawings to exemplify what is at present regarded to be the `best embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that changes in the details Fi 1.' he system herein illustrated comprises two mam parts A and B which for convenience of designation will be hereinafter referred .to as a delivering section and a power section respectively. These sections are arranged end to end, and with their adjacent en`ds substantially in the same approximately horizontal plane.

The power section is preferably an elevator similar in construction to that patented to B. H. Alvey May 23rd, 1905, No. 790,811 and it is not considered to be necessary completely to illustrate or describe it more fully herein, further than to call attention to the fact that B designates its approximately horlaontal receiving portion; B its inclined portion.; C its Hights; C C its chains which carr the Hights; b the rollers which form the ed or Way of the 'receiving portion B; and b the stationary Hoor at the junction o f the receiving ortion B and inclined nportion- B. It w' l be understood that while this power section has been referred to as beingan elevator, it may be employed for lowering packages, in which event its Hights engage the forward walls of the packages andprevent their traveling too fast on the bed or. way, and it will also be understood that the power section may be arranged for carrylng packages on a level.

. The delivering' section herein exemplified 1s a gravity conveyer similar to that atented to B. H. Alvey, Nov. 25, 1902, Illo. 714,432 and therefore it is only necessary to state that its bed or way is arranged at a downward inclination and is composed of freel rotatable. rollers a,.and that the side mem rs A of its frame, which members arev preferably angle-irons, as shown.l have .apertures at the places a. for.- a 'purposel which will hereinafter. appeer- AsA lleadysllggested, the idea upon which l" the present .invention is founded, is to stop.

which if not'thus the movementof acka de 'vered tothe power 'restrained lwould Iofjilnfront or. behind a rising Hig t, or other mutable..- .packge .engsmg element; f the.

:meneame conaslaa moyement of the package on the bed or way of the power section.

and effective means for the purpose which is characterized by the fact that it com rises a stop 10 arranged in the bed of the de ivering section A and having a rising and Vfalling movement roduced automatically under the control of) the package engaging devices C.

In the particular illustrated -embodiment of the invention the stop consists of an approximately U-shaped strip, arranged in inversely of the bed of the delivering section A l,and its side members extending through the apertures a" .in the frame members A. This stop is preferably arranged somewhat lrearward of the discharging end of the delivering section and preferably between two lof the rollers a of the latter. The lower ends of the side members of the stop are pivotally secured to levers 11, 11 which are arranged at opposite sides of the section A in planes vertically beneath the frame members A. Their forward ends are secured to a shaft 12 which is journaled in bearings 113 depending from the frame members A', whereby the levers work in unison. Their C' and `are so correlated with said flights that as the latter, in returning tooperative position, successively reach the receiving end of the power section they will engage the ends ofthe lever and in rising from the returning run to the working run of their travel each will raise saidlevers and thereby elevate the stop 1,0 into the path of an approaching package on the delivering section A and will maintain the levers and stop v1n this position until the Hight has reached a place wherein danger .of its engaging be- .neath a package being delivered is obviated.

the Hight has passed beyond the position at which it would engage the bottom of a package improperly delivered thereto, it will pass freely out of engagement with the ends by lowering the stop and permitting a package to be fed from the delivering section to the receiving section. It will be understood that the parts are so arranged that when the stop 10 has moved out of the path of an approaching package suflicient time to 'eHect its delivery onto the power section will elapse before a Hight approaching its workstop mechanism to stop the movement of said .package at a place which intersects the path of rising movement of said Hight. The Hight engaging ends 14 of the levers 'verted position with its closed end trans- I The correlation further is suchthat when of the levers and the latter will drop, there- 11 havetheir surfaces which are presentedl tothe flights so formed that when the stop Vl'. have illustated-herein a most simple rear ends project into the path of the Hights ing position will become operative on the Liemers is elevated said surfaces will be on an arc corresponding to the arc of travel fof the -Hight for raising the levers `will remain in frictional contact with the hooks, while traveling relatively thereto, until 'it has passed substantially to the plane of the bed of the power conveyer, and will then pass freely from its engagement with the hooks, whereupon .the levers will fall as before described. Preferably the Hights are rotatably mounted on their axes in order to reduce friction between them and the hooks to an extent suHicient to prevent tendency of the Hights to bind upon the hooks and stop or retard movement ofthe traveling elements of the power conveyer. These hooks weight the ends of the levers suHiciently to canse the levers t0 fall by gravity from the position in which they. are shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to that which they normally occupy and which is shown in dotted lines in said ligure; but springs or other suitable means may be employed, either t0 supplemen or as a substitute for gravity if desire It will be noted that by the employment of the hooks sufficient length of contacting surface for the purpose of the present invention is provided without necessitating an undue width of levers The hooks are Preferably connected with each other by a transversely arranged strip 15 which assures unitary movement of the levers. As already stated, thestop 10 is preferably arranged somewhat forward of the end of the section A. There may be times when a package' will be between the stop 10 and-the receiving end of the power conveyer, tending to advance toward the latter, while a Hight is rising around the sprockets. If the end of this package reaches al plane intersected by the transverse strip, said strip will act to prevent further movement of said package toward the bed ofthe power conveyer and hence may serve as a secondary stop.

1t will be apparent that the described relation between the Hights of the elevator and the stop of the gravity conveyer is such that said stop willA be projected into the path over which thel packages move to the elevator when a Hight is rising at the receiving end of the latter. In the use of the conveyers of the kind herein referred to packages-usually empty cases-are placed on the gravity conveyer ordinarily with wide intervals between them and travel at a regulated speed down the gravity conveyor. When the stop 10 rises into the space in advance ofan approachingpackage, as it frequently' does, it, by its engagement with the front end of the package, very effectively holds 4said package from further advancing movement `on the gravity -conveyer until the Hight has passed into the position where it will not engagethe bottom of said package. On the other hand, when, as may occasionally happen if no care be taken to avoid it, the stop comes up under the bottom of a package, it willraise said package from the conveyer, or tilt it, and also frictionally resist any further movement of the package on the gravity way. If it should happen to come up under the package near the rear end of the latter and a line of closelyfollowing packages are exerting any tendency to press the first package toward the elevator and this tendency is not completely resisted by the stop 10, the front stop 15 will be effective to hold said package away from the rising Hight.

Having now described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A conveying system comprising a delivering section and a' receiving section, arranged end to end, said receiving section having a bed or way, and being provided with means for controlling the movement of packages over the way or bed, said means ages above the bottom of the latter and rising and' falling stop for cont-rolling the delivery of packages from the delivering section to the receiving section, and means whereby said stop is automatically moved into package-stopping position under control of the package-controlling mechanism of the receiving section' and is maintained in said position until a rising Hight has passed beyond the position at which it will engage the bottom of the package.

2. A conveying system comprising a delivering section and a receiving section arranged end to end, said receiving section havin a bed or way and being provided with endless traveling devices having transverse spaced Hights which travel above and below the bed or way, a rising and falling stop forvcontrolling movement of the packages from the delivering section to the receiving section, and an actuating means for said stop, extending into position to be operated by a' Hight which is rising at thereceiving. end ofthe receiving section, tocause the. stop to prevent delivery of a package to travel above and below the bed or way, a

having spaced Hights which engage the packa place intersecting the plane of rising movement ofi/said flight until the iight has passed.

3. A conveying system comprising a delivering sect-ion and a receiving section arranged end to end, said receiving section having a bed or way andbeing provided with endless traveling devices having transverse spaced flights which travel above and below the bed or way, a rising and falling stop for controlling movement of the packagesfrom the delivering section to the receiving section, and an actuating means for said stop having a portion arranged in the path of movement of a flight rising at the receiving end of the receiving section, said portion of the actuating means being substantially concentric-With the plane of movenient of said flight at the receiving end of the receiving section.

4. A conveying system comprising a delivering section and a receiving section arranged end to end, said receiving section having a bed or way and being'provided with endless traveling devices -having transverse spaced flights which travel above Aand below the bed or way, a rising and falling stop for controlling movement `of the packages from the delivering section to the-receiving section, and an actuating means for said stop comprising a lever having an approximately hook-shaped end arranged in` V the path of kmovement of a iiight rising at the receiving end of the'receiving section.

5. A conveying system comprising a. de- -livering section anda receiving section arranged end to end, said receiving section having a bed or way and being 'provided withendless traveling devices having transverse spaced flights which travel above and below the b ed or way, a rising and falling stop of approximately inverted-U shape and an actuating means therefor comprising a pair of levers each connected to a limb of the stop and having an approximately hookshaped end arranged to be engaged by a flight rising at the receiving end ofthe receiving section.

6. A conveying system comprising a -delivering section and a receiving section arrangedend to end, said receiving section having` a bed or way and being provided with endless traveling devices having transverse spaced fiights which travel above and' below the bed or way, a rising and falling stop of approximately inverted-U shape and an actuating means therefor comprising a pair of levers each connected to a limb of the stop and having a projection arrangednn the path of a Hight rising at'the .receiving end of the receiving section and having its surface adjacent to the Hight formed on an A arc substantially concentric with the arc of travel of the Hight.

position to be controlled automatically byv said conducting means to operate the stop to prevent delivery of a package to the power section when a flight is rising at the receiving end of the latter.

8. A conveying system comprising a gravity section and a power section arranged lend to end, said gravity section having a sto and a lever projecting from the stop, an sa1d power section having a bed or way substantially continuous with the bed or way of the gravity section and provided with means for conducting packages over its said bed or way, said means including spaced fiights which travel above and below the bed or' way, vthe lever of the stop projecting into the path of a flight rising at the receiving' end of the power section and being operated automatically by -said flight to prevent de livery of.V a package to the power section.'-

when a Hight is rising at the receiving endof the latter. a

9. A conveying system comprising a gravity section and a power section arranged end to end, said gravity sectionhaving a stop and a lever projecting from the stop, and

said power section having a. bed or way substantiallycontlnuous with the bed or way of for conducting packages over its said bed or way', said means 'including spaced flights which travel above and nbelow the bed or the gravity section and provided with means' way, the lever of the Stop having an end u l curved substantiallv concentric with the path of risin movement of the flight at the receiving en of the power section and adapted to be engaged by said flight, to operate the stop to preventdelivery of a is rising at the receiving end of the latter.

4package to the powerksection 'when a Hight 10. A conveyer,'compr1sing a. section hav- 4 f ing a frame, a package-way, a package restraining element of approximately inverted-U shape extending across said way and* movable above and back to the plane there' of, and a pair of connected actuated levers" pivotally supported from the frame and to uwhich the side limbs of the restraining element are pivoted, combined with a powersection disposed 'in an endwise relation with the first-mentioned section, and provided with a bed or way and with means for con- I. L

trolling the movement of 'packages upon the inca-oie bed or way, means1 including lli which travel above and below said be or way, and-said leversarranged to be operated v intermittently under control of the packageconducting means for moving thepackage restraining element into operative position when a flight is rising at the receiving end f the powersection. 11. A conveyer, comprlsin a section having a package way, .a p lvota ly mounted le' ver disposed at one side ofv the planeof said' Way and provided-with a bent portionwhich extends toward the plane of the Wayv and is provided with a package-restraining element which projects laterally therefrom and extends transverselv of the way, combined with'a power section'disposed in an endwise relation with the first-mentioned sec4 tion and provided with a bed or way and;

with means for controlling the movement of packages upon 4the bed or way, said means including flights whicl` travel 'above and beA `low said bed or Wav` the bent part of the le-.

. ver ofthe first mentioned sectionv being armeans of thefpower section.

- ing 'a package way,- levers below said way,` vnivotally mounted at their forward ends and ranged in position to be operated automatically under' control of the power-conducting 12.-'A conveyer,comprising a section hav` v. having their rear ends hent u ward toward vers with .each other and* projecting thenceV levers..

the plane ofthe way and'a pac age restrainf ingl-element connectingl the u wardly bent .ends ofthe levers with each ot er, combined with a' power section having means operatg upon said bent ends to actuate said 13. A conveyer Y comprisi age-restraining element connecting the letoward the package-way, said element being connected with the levers rearward-of1the -fulcrum of the latter and said levers extend- 4ing from said element to the rear end of the package way and provided at the latter -pjlace with bent ends, combined with a I. V power section, having means operating upon said bent endsto actuate-'sad levers.

14. A conveyer having a' package wa al air.' of levers pivotally mounted at t eir i and said levers extending from said-element orward ends, and a package-restraining element connecting the levers with `each other andprojecting thence toward the packageway, said element being connected with the"v levers rearward of the fulcrum `-of the latter to the rear end of the package vway and ,provided at the latter place with curvedfends and a laterally arranged strip 'cgniilectirigv said curved ends with eachother. Y 'f 15. A conveyer having a package jway and a pivotally mounted lever having vstop degi a section hav-- ring a package way, a pair of evers pivotally mounted at their forwardendaand a packvic'es'in spaced relation along the length thereof, 'sald s'top devices being arranged on the saine side of the iulcrum4 of the lever.' 16. A conveyer having a package Way, a pairof 'connetd pivota'lly mounted levers `provided with stop elements extending transversely of thelvv'ay and mounted on the sameside-.of v the fulcr'um' of lthe levers.

17. A 'conveyer having apackage' way, a movable packa ere'straining element an actuating lever'4 t erefor provided with a `portion which'h extends toward the plane'- of .the way, and a second package restraining element which projects laterally from said end. 18; A conveyer having va package Way, a

movable package restraining velement arranged transversely' of the way, levers carrying said element and provided with portions which extend toward the wayand means connectingfsaid portions with each other and arranged to-constitute a. Second package-restraining element.

sov

19. A conveyer having a package way,

vmechanism for controlling the travel of the packages along said way, comprising endless traveling devices provided at intervals with package-engaging flights, a pair of levers extending into the path'of said flights and meansl carried by' and extending between 'said levers and adapted in one position of movement to restrain the lnovement of the packages. .20. A'convcyer having a package way,

mechanism for controlling the travel of the packages along said way, comprising endless traveling devices provided at intervalswith packageengaging ights, a pair of levers havin ends'with curved faces in the path of said lghts, means connecting said ends with each other and arranged adjacent to the plane of the way when the levers are raised, and other means arranged rearward of those first mentioned, for connecting the levers with each other, said other means being ar` ranged above the levers, and a feeding section adjacent tothe levers and their connectin means.

less traveling devices provided at intervals withpackage-engagin flights, a lever having an end of curved ace-conformations arranged in the path of movement of the .conveyer having apackage way, mechanism for controlling the travel of the packages along said Way, comprismg endmechanism for controlling the travel of the packages along said way, comprising eudless traveling devices provided at intervals with package-engaging flights, a pair of 1evers each having an end with a curved'face 10 arranged in the path of movement fof the iighths and a packa e device-arranged between sai levers and connected thereto.

MORRIS U.- BERNHEIM.

l Witnesses:

F. L. BERNHEnf, E. P. Bmmmmet.

In testmon whereof I aii my Signature, in lpresence o two subscribing witnesses.v 

